The English county of Wiltshire has a long history of association with paranormal activity, having a number of ghost sightings, UFO sightings, crop circles (with as many as 80% of the UK's crop circles being found in Wiltshire), and stone circles such as Stonehenge, which themselves have been associated with paranormal activity and occultism.
Salisbury Plain has long been used for testing experimental aircraft, and the presence of Porton Down has led to comparisons being made to Area 51, with the suggestion that experimental military craft may have been misidentified as UFOs. Many crop circles in the area have been identified as hoaxes. Wiltshire is noted by the 'paranormal database' as having the highest rate of ghost sightings on its roads of any county in the UK, with founder of the database Darren Mann stating that 15.4% of ghost sightings reported to the database come from Wiltshire. Like much of the UK, Wiltshire has folklore and reported sightings of big cats and ghostly black dogs, with Wiltshire having more black dog myths than any other county in England, some of which are described as malevolent whilst others are described as benevolent.
Ghost sightings The following is a list of reports of encounters and sightings of ghosts and spirits that have occurred in Wiltshire. +DateLocationDescriptionSourceVariousChapmansladeVarious sightings and stories can be found around the "Dead Maids crossroads", which are supposedly haunted by a black dog and a dead woman.VariousMalmesbury AbbeyMalmesbury Abbey is said to be haunted by the ghost of a monk.VariousLongleat HouseIt is said that Longleat House is haunted by the ghost of Alice, the young daughter of the then Marquess of Bath, who died in 1847 at age 11 of tuberculosis VariousAvebury/Red Lion PubThe Red Lion Pub in Avebury is considered one of the most haunted pubs in the UK, with five different ghosts being said to live in the building going back to the 17th century October 1888AldbourneWhile returning from business in Portsmouth, Reverend H C Lambert, Vicar of Baydon, encountered a headless spirit which he believed to be the ghost of a local man named Dore who had committed suicide.September 1972All CanningsThe resident of a cottage in the village saw a woman in green, or grey, appear in the corner of their room.2011Box TunnelWorkers inspecting the tunnel claim to have seen a wailing woman who disappeared in front of them.
UFOs and crop circles The following is a list of reports of encounters and sightings of UFOs and related phenomena. In 2009 the MOD shut down its UFO special desk as it was considered a low priority and many reports could not be verified or had mundane explanations. DateLocationDescriptionSource25 December 1964 – 1980Warminster/Cley Hill and surrounding areasFollowing reports of an unknown, loud atmospheric phenomenon, a number of UFOs were reportedly seen in Warminster, which began with a sighting by Mrs. Mildred Head in 1964. Peaks in activity were noted in the summers of 1965 and 1966. These phenomena would be variously described under the umbrella term "the Warminster thing". Reports varied from alleged "cigar shaped" objects to those resembling "red hot pokers". Newspaper editor Arthur Shuttlewood, who had previously been sceptical of the sightings, ultimately claimed to have seen as many as 800 UFOs in the Warminster area between 1965 and 1973. Shuttlewood is credited with bringing national attention to Warminster's apparent UFO flap. 1976Cley HillDavid Kingston claims to have seen UFOs make a crop circle while on a night walk.1996StonehengeA crop circle appeared near Stonehenge that seemed to display a Julia set.15 February 1997 WestburyAn object landed near the Westbury White Horse.26 February 1997Near MarlboroughA low-flying, green object with a tail was reported.12 April 1997WarminsterA metallic disc with a diameter of was seen.7 May 1997CalneA triangular object making a buzzing sound followed the witness. 21 May 1997Bradford-on-AvonLoud, blue flashing lights were seen.9 June 1997CalneA bright, cylindrical object was reported.22 June 1997MalmesburyA large orange object was seen flying vertically.3 July 1997SwindonGreen, balloon-shaped objects were reported.11 July 1997SwindonLights were seen flying in circles.20 July 1997MarlboroughLow-flying, static orange orbs were reported.2 August 1997 Wootton BassettA round object was reported. It was described as a very bright white.3 August 1997SwindonA vertically-moving, cylindrical object was reported.12 August 1997CorshamTwo triangular objects were reported.26 August 1997TrowbridgeA small, circular object with red and green lights was reported.4 October 1997ChippenhamA dark, flat object was reported.5 October 1997SalisburyA high-flying, triangular object with red and green lights was reported.25 December 1997Froxfield A large, possibly burning, disc-shaped object was reported. 5 January 1998 CalneA large elongated object, described as larger than a C-130 Hercules, was reported.14 January 1998CalneA white and green cylindrical object was reported.2 June 1998MelkshamTwo distant, red objects were seen.25 June 1998Warminster/WestburyA flying saucer was reported.3 July 1998Bradford-on-AvonA grey-coloured, oval object was reported.9 September 1998TrowbridgeBright lights were reported. They were bright enough to be seen through curtains.14 September 1998SalisburyA yellow, luminous object was sighted, which was car-sized and flying low.10 November 1998SalisburyA red/green starlike object was reported.16 November 1998MarlboroughA flaming object was spotted. It was further described as white and moving vertically.17 November 1998ChippenhamColourful, shooting star-like objects were reported.8 June 1999Marlborough A private pilot reported a colourful, circular object making rapid movements.11 June 1999SalisburyA rotating, reflective object was reported.12 July 1999WiltshireThree orange objects were seen in a line.19 September 1999MarlboroughA fast-moving, car-sized, tubular object was reported.9 October 1999CalneTwo lights were seen moving rapidly.10 October 1999FoxhamA singular, bright light was reported.17 December 1999SwindonTwo bright white objects were seen making circles.28 December 1999SwindonA fast-moving, circular object was reported.5 January 2000Wootton BassettA singular object that changed colour from white to green-orange was reported.3 February 2000 MelkshamFour large, orange objects were reported to be flying in formation.27 July 2000SalisburyA triangular formation of objects was reported.2 December 2000Stonehenge/Salisbury A bright, green and blue flashing sphere was reported.14 February 2001SalisburyA triangular, red and purple object was reported.3 April 2001ChippenhamA pair of bright red lights were reported.June 2001West Wiltshire, TrowbridgeMultiple witnesses described a bright, slow-moving light flying overhead.15 September 2001SwindonA bright white object was seen. It was reported to be moving vertically.28 July 2002Near SalisburyA bright red light was reported.26 June 2003MelkshamA silvery white object was reported.16 August 2003AmesburyA flying saucer was reported.24 September 2004DevizesA fiery ball coming down from the sky was reported.24 September 2004SwindonA silent orange disc was reported.2005LockeridgeA man claims to have seen three metallic craft flying over a field.10 February 2006 MarlboroughA hovering light shifted colours between red, orange, green, and blue.2007Boscombe downA very bright, stationary light was reported.3 February 2007M4/SwindonAn object with a green halo fell from the sky.28 June 2007SwindonA UFO was seen for a short time.5 September 2007WroughtonAn object was seen that was said to resemble an object during reentry.5 September 2007Wootton BassettAn arc-shaped object with 10-12 white lights was reported.6 October 2007TrowbridgeA bright white light followed by 20 flickering orange lights were reported.2008WroughtonA crop circle appeared which seemed to show the first 10 digits of pi.9 February 2008 Ashton KeynesSlow moving orange lights, numbering 20, were seen.4 July 2008WroughtonA white, triangular object was reported.20 September 2008CalneFive bright orange/pink objects were sighted. They were reported to be silent.10 December 2008 DevizesA small, fast-moving, golden-coloured orb was reported.2009Silbury hillAn off-duty police sergeant reported seeing tall blonde figures in all white making a crop circle. An electric crackling sound was reported before the figures disappeared.1 January 2009ChippenhamA UFO sighting was reported.13 February 2009Bradford-on-AvonAn orange orb was seen flying in a deliberate manner.22 February 2009SwindonBright lights, numbering 80, where seen flying.26 February 2009MalmsburyTwo objects where seen shining light horizontally above the clouds.4 March 2009SwindonVarious star-shaped lights where seen.4 April 2009SwindonA large orange object was seen flying over RAF Lyneham.5 April 2009SwindonA peculiar object was seen.12 April 2009SwindonFour glowing objects where seen changing direction and brightness.14 June 2009WroughtonA black, disclike object was seen flying over crop circles near Barbury Castle.27 June 2009SwindonAbout 12-13 orange lights were reported flying in a line.24 August 2009SwindonThree lights forming an isosceles triangle, which made no sound, were seen flying.29 August 2009LynehamOrange lights were seen following each other.1 October 2009ChippenhamLights were seen in the sky.31 October 2009WestburyA bright circular light was seen.11 September 2016SwindonA resident saw and reported to the police a UFO in the sky and an alien in their living room.20 September 2016SalisburyA resident woman claimed to have been abducted by aliens.May 2017Cley HillA local resident spotted and filmed a UFO flying over the hill.19 August 2017Cley HillFrome resident Jeremy Le Fevre spotted a green and red object flying over the hill.13 August 2018Cley HillObjects where spotted flying in a line over the hill.5 April 2019ChippenhamA resident man claimed to have been abducted by aliens.10 October 2019TrowbridgeA resident reported a UFO sighting.17 January 2021ChippenhamA resident informed police than an ex-friend had knowledge about aliens.
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